Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “bulle” come from?

bulle (Old French) comes from Medieval Latin bulla, from Latin bulla, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.

bulle (Old French): seal; a letter sealed with a bull

Definitions

  1. seal; a letter sealed with a bull

Ancestry of “bulle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval Latinbullaseal; sealed document; seal capsule; seal",...
2Latinbullaa bubble; a swollen or bubble-shaped object,...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “bulle”

  • bill
  • billboard
  • handbill
  • billable
  • billfold
  • waybill
  • playbill
  • hornbill
  • crossbill
  • billfish
  • spoonbill
  • broadbill
  • duckbill
  • nonbillable
  • biller
  • razorbill
  • billhead
  • billboarding
  • billposter
  • ivorybill
  • sheathbill
  • bluebill
  • superbill
  • billsticker
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →